A group of 610 citizens has issued a solidarity statement following the Income Tax Department’s survey on six non-governmental organisations last week, including Oxfam India, Centre for Policy Research (CPR), among others.
The statement signed by social worker Aruna Roy, Anu Aga, Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin, Biswajeet of Gandhi Peace Foundation, Aakar Patel, among others said that since 7 September, some non-profits, including a think tank, some international NGOs and a funding agency for independent media, have been “raided” and subjected to intrusive, sweeping seizures of information by income tax authorities without any reasons being provided, according to The Wire.
"In the wake of these alarming, unfounded raids – this statement is in solidarity with all of us, including the personnel from the Income Tax Department ordered to carry out these raids without questioning either their government or their conscience."
In the statement, the citizens expressed fears about the I-T Department targeting them in the "not too distant future."
"They will come because they don’t make any distinction between a government and the nation it is meant to serve. They will come for anyone who does make that distinction,” the statement read.
The citizens also asserted that the ones on whom the raids are currently being conducted – are not against the government and rather they are for the nation.
On 7 September, Income Tax department sleuths conducted searches at the New Delhi office of the non-profit, independent think tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR), the non-governmental organisation Oxfam India and media funding body Independent and Public Spirited Media Foundation.
'Survey Team Took All Data by Cloning Server': Oxfam India
Oxfam India said that the IT Department's survey team took all data by cloning its server and private mobile phones of senior leadership team, according to The Hindu.
They also said that during the "survery" Oxfam India team members were barred from leaving the premises, the internet was shut down and all the mobile phones were confiscated.
Meanwhile, thinktank Centre for Policy Research that was also raided, issued a statement saying it has done nothing wrong.
CPR's president and Chief Executive, Yamini Aiyar said in a statement, "We have extended full cooperation to the department during the survey and will continue to do so in the future."
(With inputs from The Wire and The Hindu.)
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